Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having multiple decks of memory cells and associated control gates. A method includes forming a first deck having alternating conductor materials and dielectric materials and a hole containing materials extending through the conductor materials and the dielectric materials. The methods can also include forming a sacrificial material in an enlarged portion of the hole and forming a second deck of memory cells over the first deck. Additional apparatuses and methods are described.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method comprising: forming a first deck having alternating first conductor materials and first dielectric materials and a hole containing materials extending through the first conductor materials and the first dielectric materials; removing a portion of at least one of the materials from a portion of the hole; enlarging the portion of the hole to form an enlarged portion of the hole; forming a sacrificial material in the enlarged portion of the hole; and forming a second deck having alternating second conductor materials and second dielectric materials over the first deck.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: forming a second hole through the second conductor materials and the second dielectric materials, such that at least a portion of the sacrificial material is exposed through the second hole; removing the sacrificial material; and forming a third hole through the first and second decks, such that the third hole includes a combination of the second hole and the hole, including the enlarged hole portion of the hole.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising: forming a tunneling material on sidewalls of the third hole; and forming a channel material adjacent the tunneling material.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: forming a third dielectric material in the hole, the third dielectric material being surrounded by at least the channel material.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: forming a second hole through the second conductor materials and second dielectric materials, such that at least a portion of the sacrificial material is exposed at the second hole; removing the sacrificial material; forming a tunneling material on sidewalls of the second hole; and forming a channel material adjacent the tunneling material and contacting an additional channel material in the hole.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: forming a third dielectric material in the hole, the third dielectric material being surrounded by at least the channel material adjacent the tunneling material.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial material includes aluminum.
8. A method comprising: forming a first deck having alternating first conductor materials and first dielectric materials and a first hole containing materials extending through the first conductor materials and the first dielectric materials, the materials in the first hole include a tunneling material on sidewalls of the first hole and an additional material adjacent the tunneling material; removing a portion of the additional material from a portion of the first hole; enlarging the portion of the first hole to form an enlarged portion of the first hole; forming a sacrificial material in the enlarged portion of the first hole; forming alternating levels of second conductor materials and second dielectric materials over the first deck; forming a second hole to expose at least a portion of the sacrificial material in the first hole; recessing the second conductor materials adjacent the second hole to form recesses; forming a dielectric material on sidewalls of the second hole and on sidewalls of the recesses; forming charge-storage material in the recesses and adjacent the dielectric material; removing the sacrificial material; forming an additional tunneling material in the second hole, such that the additional tunneling material contacts the tunneling material in the first hole; removing a remaining portion of the additional material adjacent the tunneling material in first hole; and forming a channel material on sidewalls of the first and second holes.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tunneling material contained in the first hole includes an oxide of silicon, and the additional material contained in the first hole includes polysilicon.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sacrificial material includes aluminum oxide.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 20, 2017
September 18, 2018
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